I wanna join the cheap wagon club! I miss my W123 but don't want to regret this buy
 

So I found an ad on the Houston Craigslist for an '83 300TD with 255k miles on it that had been in storage for over 5 years. The seller is asking $1200 for it and advertises it as "for parts or restoration". I just checked it out this morning and I like it but there are issues that make me nervous. It would be ideal if it didn't cost me an arm and leg to get this car where it needs to be.

First off I LOVE the green/teal exterior! I hardly ever see wagons with that color. The palomino interior has the third row seat (YES!!) but it's torn (boo!!). It's funny because the driver's seat and armrest have no signs of wear other than being a little discolored. The dash and all the interior wood trims are completely SHOT. The SLS system works and doesn't leak. The seller said he replaced the SLS accumulators before it was stored. I sat on the back of it while it was running and from what I can tell, the SLS works great. AC compressor is doing the horse-gallup sound so it's shot. Engine runs beautifully with minimal blow-by (checked for smoke at the oil filler cap). The vacuum issues are minimal and don't worry me much since they're fairly simple to fix. The clear on the hood is gone and the top of the car has some faded paint. Would color-sanding fix any of this? Overall the interior is pretty dirty and just needs some TLC... and SEM vinyl dye.

The serious issue is there is some rust on under both left and right rear windows, with the driver's side portion being rusted through, creating a 1" hole. The hatchback had only one 1/2" thin stripe of surface rust up near the window, thank goodness. In addition water got inside the rear of the car and damaged the carpets.

It's a long list of issues I know. Do you think it's worth his asking price? Ideally, welding some new sheet metal into the hole would be nice but that can get pricey... I have no welding experience or I would DIY it... maybe there's another option?

Any insight is certainly appreciated. I dearly miss my '82 wagon and have been wanting to get back into a W123 diesel but haven't found one that's right for me yet.

IF everything else on the car is working perfectly, 1200 is slightly overpriced... parts car status means 5-600... and you cannot enter the CWC without getting the car for LESS than 1000.00 Sorry.
so... talk him down. personally, I'd wait for a better wagon. rust is not easy to fix. and the stuff you see is ALWAYS less than the total rust on the car.

Good call on the rust...

I was thinking about offering something like $700-ish. I don't want to insult the guy but I think that's what it's worth... to me at least. If he doesn't go for it then I'll seek entrance to the CWC elsewhere.

You don't receive unless you ask. I think it is over priced. Better to pay more for a better car. In the alternative, beat him down further. He obviously isn't going to fix it.

Rust can't be dealt with simply with wrenches and professional repair is expensive. AC is expensive in parts alone. Dash wood requires dash removal. Proper seat repair is expensive.

Check out atlanta craigs list for the 79. I posted a link earlier in the cl thread but it should come up easily.

Edit: Here's another http://nashville.craigslist.org/for/2834331258.html

BOO.... I paid 1500 for my wagon with the clk rims, the rims are worth 500, and I took them off, does this mean I qualify? :)

nope... just like if you paid 900 for the wagon, but then added 1000.00 in parts and such to get it running... it would still qualify. now, if you had them SOLD before you picked up the wagon, and used your money and the buyer's money for the car, then it would qualify...
AFAIK, I have the ONLY 124 DIESEL wagon in the club...

Thanks for the link. I'd rather find one locally but that seems like a decent deal.

I agree though, more money for a little better car would be ideal. Interior replacement and such is something I've done in my old 300's so that kind of work doesn't bother me too much. I've not replaced the AC compressor on a W123 before but done plenty of other things under the hood so I expect I can accomplish a compressor replacement, then take the car to a shop to charge the system. Are parallel flow condensers really worth the trouble? How hard is it to get R12 nowadays?

I'm gonna call him this afternoon and offer $650 I think. If I give him more than that I will regret it.

You're welcome :)

I think your $650.00 offer is just great. I would recommend having even less then that in hand. Say $500.00 in big bills. Man it is tough to sell a car like that! remember, most likely you are the only person in the world to be interested in it. P & P pays about $300.00 if they have to pick it up. You know you will have to get it home, (If it runs why would that cost an arm and a leg?). But watch out for that RUST! Guaranteed there is much more that you haven't seen yet.

Cheap wagon Club - highjack

My DD-- '80 NA wagon is 99% rust free, runs like a dream. Flare between 2 and 3 that is ALMOST adjusted out(K1 is next) and 2 windows dont work(yet).

Ok I paid $900 for my wagon back in Aug. I have about $2000 in her now....coco mats, seats, Pentas.

Im in right- $1000 or under? Doesnt matter what you've invested since you've had her right?

correct. you qualify. :D